We have a long-term plan to reduce the EI rate to $1.47 in 2017. This would be the lowest rate in over a decade, but we wanted to provide an early relief to small businesses, who are the largest generators of employment in the country, and we're very comfortable this is the right thing to do. We want to encourage employment growth and this is one way to do it by focusing a benefit on the biggest employers and generators of employment in Canada.
On November 19th, 2014. See this statement in context.